NDLEA Arrests South African Woman for Heroin Smuggling

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arrested a 38-year-old South African woman at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on July 6, 2026, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 5.75 kilograms of heroin into Nigeria while traveling with her three-year-old son. The suspect initially denied ownership of two suitcases containing 14 large blocks of heroin but later admitted to owning them after the NDLEA established that the baggage tags matched her passport.

The agency suspects she is part of a transnational drug trafficking organization operating between Cambodia and South Africa, with her husband, Jan Coenraad de Jager, linked to the operation. Additionally, the NDLEA disclosed the arrest of Onyecher Chinadu, a 48-year-old motorcyclist, who was found with 1.715 kg of methamphetamine concealed in his backpack after arriving from Madagascar via Ethiopian Airlines.

The agency continues to combat drug trafficking and abuse across Nigeria.